This is a special group. I'm Dan -- -- New York where this ABC news digital special report to be massive typhoon hi Leon struck the central Philippines today that monster storm is on the move. With wind gusts of up to 235. Miles per hour the BBC's John Donaldson is in the -- Powerful typhoon that hit it and from dole winds of up to 200 miles an hour started to back to the Philippine central islands. In eastern province of -- take the coastal town of Oakland was -- -- -- Streets tended to -- -- to victory. Millions of people. But he managed to -- the -- As always no -- can bring new united Filipino people to its knees. It is my hope to be -- stay safe in the coming days. Some though. Had chosen to stay -- It's leaning hard thinking what's happening -- playing the -- -- Embraer. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- He -- AT. -- still get the word I won't confronted the brouhaha. It's the first time. Anything if you -- Bentley glad living giving -- the -- people have let me. Because of this -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- The hunt but if I think I -- it and got it. The Philippines they -- When he did he -- none of -- room. As evening comes people across the Philippines the facing a difficult night the capital Manila has largely avoided the brunt of the damage but elsewhere. Aid agencies as saying that the damage could be unprecedented. One United Nations official -- tell me hundreds of thousands of homes could have been damaged or destroyed. Already many -- -- -- had lost everything. But it may be days before we know the full extent of the damage. Now is latest -- for the BBC but I want to bring -- AccuWeather senior meteorologist pre rendered to give us perspective about this Bernie. Some of those pictures some of that video we've seen other -- -- -- incredible. Give us a sense build what would it look like in the storm that size -- hit an American city. -- the damage would be somewhat similar of course are. Buildings are a little different in our terrain is a little different but when you get a storm of that magnitude. The damage is one of shock. And unfortunately catastrophic. Damage and we would see that here is well. An army can begin with an earthquake but what kind of weather events then obviously far from -- for a storm like this. Well I mean before from a standpoint a lot of times when we see yeah. IAA system of this magnitude of course the big thing about is not only the rain in the wind. But it has the ability to produce and move a lot of water and of course we saw the damage. That sandy did which was a much much weaker system in a little different way it was structured. And it's that moving the water in a lot of cases that produces most of the damage but when you do have a storm of this. This magnitude and again. Did the strongest winds were in -- compact area. The damage the amount of damage that you get from wind and rain. Is and and will be catastrophic as we're starting to see some of the footage right now. The loss of life and obviously personal safety is first and foremost on and everyone's mind just that this video is just unbelievable. And given the strength and the size of a storm like this it really throws Arabic into the entire ecosystem does that not. We gotta be careful when you talk about the size this was not a large storm that was actually. Very compact will we have the strongest winds don't forget Manila which is up in the northern part of the Philippines. -- winds of thirty and forty miles per hour or so this kind of wind field. Didn't stretch out where we saw winds over -- 150 miles over hundreds and hundreds of miles it was actually very compact. And that's the thing about hurricanes they tend to become packed storms. And the damage that you get the catastrophic damage tends to -- occur in a narrow area. What is the projection then on when this typhoon -- have passed. Well it's past the Philippines its long -- it continues to push yet to the west and northwest and we are expecting another landfall. In -- northern Taiwan as we head towards Sunday afternoon local time as far as strength it is probably going to maintain it straight and even this with the storm. Because of the way it's been measured these differences of -- -- how strong it is. But it is going to be certainly a strong hurricane that will bring flooding rains wind and storm surgeon in northern parts of Vietnam and in the storms of this magnitude in that area is is unfortunately nothing new. And bright guy being that the Philippines gets when he -- tropical cyclones a year or so this is an area. That is hit frequently with tropical cyclones and typhoons. But this storm the conditions were perfect. And that's why it went into a super typhoon before -- unfortunately. -- -- -- -- -- unprecedented. Event AccuWeather is Bernie ran -- Bernie thank you for the time and the insight. We have complete coverage right here on ABC news dot conference on -- cuts -- New York with this ABC news digital special report.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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